Playing B-Ball for Jesus

By Doug Sparkes

Scenario 1: Two teams of basketball players meet for a match. Suddenly two boys, one from each team, struggle for control of the ball. They both get control of ½ the basketball and fall to ground; each struggling to gain total control. In the meantime the game comes to a complete halt as the remaining players watch and wait for a decisive outcome.

Fortunately, the Referee is on hand and after blowing his whistle he approaches the boys, takes the ball and shouts, “jump ball”. The blue jersey team steps back and waits, but the red jersey team protests, “No! The ball is ours!” The red jersey kid jumps up and tries to take the ball from the referee. The ref blows his whistle again and yells, “Jump ball.” The red team has no respect for ref’s decision. They swarm him and try to take the ball away. The blue team stands back in astonishment.

Scenario 2: Two teams of basketball players meet for a match, but they don’t have a referee. After sometime two boys, one from each team, struggle for ball control. Somebody yells “jump ball”, but neither team is listening. Both teams begin to rally and argue for ball possession. Eventually a fight between the two teams breaks out.

Scenario 3: Two teams of basketball players meet for a match, but both teams bring their own referee. As the game begins calls are made by the refs, but in every case the ref sides with the team he represents. When a foul is called the opposing referee dismisses the charge. The game quickly comes to a frustrating stand still.

Scenario 4: Two teams of basketball players meet for a match, but each team player brings his own personal referee. The players only listen to their ref and continually ignore or dismiss the other referee’s unless, of course, the other referee agrees with their own personal referee.

Scenario 5: Two teams of basketball players meet for a match. A referee is assigned to the game by the league organizers. The referee is subjective only to the rules of the game. Both teams respect and agree to obey the prescribed set of rules that the ref will judge and base his decision upon.

The game begins and progresses as expected. In the middle of the game, one player loses his temper and the referee has to evict him from the game. Both teams comply with the referee’s decision.

The game continues and when the time runs up the best playing team wins.

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All Christian Churches claim to be founded on the word of God. Many Churches point to the Holy Spirit as their source and guide. It can be said that every Christian Church believes they have correctly interpreted Scripture. If two churches disagree on a theological point then at least one of them is wrong, but it is also possible they are both wrong. According to the Oxford World Book of Religions (1982 page 16) there are over 26,000 registered Christian churches in the United States. That means there are over 26,000 interpretations of the word of God. Like scenario 3, each Church has his own personal referee to guide him. Whenever there is a disagreement it must mean the other referees are wrong.

So whose referee is correct? Spiritually speaking, what team is most likely to be serving the will of God? Whose Holy Spirit is really Holy? Look back at Scenario 5. In this case, order is conducted and maintained by an agreed upon authority. Both teams look to and respect the decision / authority of the single referee. They do so because this referee has been established, assigned and trained by the league organizers.

Spiritually speaking the league organizer is God or specifically Jesus. He established his Church and not many churches. The Catholic Church is the only church that claims it was founded and established by Christ himself. The Catholic Church uses the authority granted to her by God himself to correctly implement the rules in this spiritual basketball analogy. Her Popes, Bishops, and Magisterial Councils have handed down binding decisions to help the players (Christians) perform and conform correctly to the rules of the game. Any delineation from the prescribed order is chaotic, disobedient and truly sinful.